In a wireless communication network (e.g., a cellular telephone network), user equipment (UE) may communicate with the network by transmitting uplink signals to the network's base stations. When multiple UEs that are proximate to each other transmit uplink signals, significant co-channel interference may be present, which may reduce the communications quality of the system.
In some systems, a UE that is relatively far from a base station with which it is communicating may boost its signal power so that its signal may have a larger Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SNR) when it is received at the base station. For example, a UE located near a cell edge may transmit at maximum power in order to increase the likelihood that the signal will reach the cell's base station with an acceptable SNR. In these cases, the co-channel interference issue may be exacerbated, since UEs near each other that are transmitting at high power may essentially drown each other out. Wireless system developers continue to seek methods and apparatus for reducing the effects of co-channel interference on system performance.